Mapquest Launches New HTML 5 Based Mobile Website

We thought long and hard about running this story, I mean does anyone even use Mapquest anymore? Well after realizing we ran a story on Hotmail last night, Retro Wednesday continues and here’s the latest news from MapQuest.

Mapquest, a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL (see that retro Wednesday thing we were talking about), today launched a new HTML 5 mobile browser experience. This makes Mapquest even easier to use on any phone with a browser that supports HTML 5.

More after the break“Nearly half of all Mobile Web map users visited MapQuest in November,” said Michael Iams, Principal Product Manager for Mobile at MapQuest. “Since the largest and fastest growing segments of that group are iPhone and Android users, our aim with this release is to leverage the touch, display, and GPS capabilities of these advanced devices to give our users the best possible mobile web mapping experience.”

Quickly determine your location: Access MapQuest.com in the mobile browser to determine a location and have it update it as you move around.

Discover places to go: Find hotels, food, gas stations and more with a single tap. Pick a place using ratings and reviews for hotels and restaurants and current gas prices at participating stations nationwide.

Get directions: In addition to basic directions, the new mobile web experience provides “landmark routing,” which helps users navigate by including places of interest along the way (e.g. “Turn left at Elm Street, right after the golf course.”). Landmark routing is also included in walking directions.

Easy to use: The new MapQuest mobile web app features a new layout and organizes components in an easier to find and use format. For example, common functions such as in-frame traffic and toggling to satellite view are included in the dropdown. The new “you are here” icon lets users show their location on the map with a customizable emblem.

Many people do actually use MapQuest because they are familiar with it. It’s one of the most used third party map and navigation apps on the Android platform, of course after the built in Google Maps.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: we are not affiliated with the device manufacturers or phone carriers we mention in any way, all suggestions are based on our own experience and research, you may use our advice at your own discretion.